Captivity
by Awsomaniatica
Summary: 5 years after the war, all is well until one simple invitation ends up leading to a capture of one beloved character, causing a massive chain of events for their rescue. Will the others make it in time? The summary may stink, but it's a good story. R&R.
1. Chapter 1

_These chapters are going to be basically short. I thought of this idea recently and really enjoyed working on it. I hope that you will also be able to have fun reading it. This is something slightly different from what I'm used to writing. Hopefully I can get these out in a timely order. I plan to finish this…no matter how long it may take. _

_This is supposed to take place about five years after the end of book three. _

_5 years after the war, all is well until one simple invitation ends up leading to a capture of one beloved character, causing a massive chain of events for their rescue. Will the others make it in time? _

A good-sized boat flowed along with the vast ocean. On the deck stood a beautiful young woman with long brown wavy hair, gently flowing with the breeze. She closed her eyes and deeply inhaled the air, a smile spreading across her face. Oh, how she loved being out on the water.

She looked down and smoothed out a crease in her beautiful light blue dress with white laced on the bottom trim, her sleeves, and around her waist. From her right pocket, she pulled out a letter that had been safely tucked away. It was the reason for her to be on her journey.

Now being at the age of 19, she was used to traveling alone, as long as she had a purpose. Her brother was also traveling with his family to visit a friend of theirs. She was going to join them, but she had received this letter and instantly made her choice. She promised that on her way back, she would stop by while her brother was still there at their friend's home.

She smiled as she opened and read the letter:

_My Dearest Katara, _

_I would love for you to accompany me to the summer celebration, a festival for the start of summer, that is, if it is to your convenience. I hope that you would be able to come because I would like to see you again. _

_Love, your dear friend, -Zuko._

Katara reread the letter again, hearing his voice as if he was there personally telling her. Of course, she had immediately written him back, accepting his invitation. It had been almost a year since she saw him last. She closed her eyes and tried to picture herself already there.

She sat with Zuko, almost close enough for their arms to be touching. They stared into each other's eyes, slowly moving closer…

The boat slightly rocked, pulling Katara out of her daydream. She looked ahead to see a large ship heading in her direction, smoke rising from the large pipe. As the ship neared, she recognized the fire nation symbol indented in the flag, flapping in the wind. She looked forward, concentrating on her way, but the ship continued its same course. Her worries began to rise.

_I'm just used to being afraid to see a fire nation ship. _She thought, _There's nothing to fret about now. _

_She continued on forward, watching the ship move closer from the corner of her eye. She tried to push the worries away, but her warning senses kept on. Finally, the ship stopped right next to her. _

_She barely turned toward it when fireballs were shot at her. She quickly pulled up some water and put them out, smoke beginning to fill the air. More continued to come her way as she tried to put them all out. One had landed on her boat, catching it on fire. She pulled up a water blob and threw it down, leaving a visible burn mark on the floor boards. _

_Suddenly, she was surrounded by a half a dozen men. She knocked a few out with her water whips, but one still managed to tie her hands behind her back. She tried to jerk away to no avail. Katara was firmly held. She looked up on the ship to see someone that she hadn't seen in years. _

"_Well, hello waterbender."_


	2. Chapter 2

A young man sat at his desk, going through papers. This was something that he clearly did not enjoy doing for the entire day. There was still so much to take care of since his father's rule. He sighed.

_At least this is for the good of all the people. _He thought.

He smiled, reading through all of the good reports that he had received. One that had recently been resolved was the transportation given for all Ba Sing Se refugees to safely go back to their own homes if they so wished. He leaned back in his seat and brushed back the strands of hair hanging in his face, revealing the scar over his left side.

He glanced over and noticed a piece of paper with his name on the top. He pulled it out and smiled. It was the letter that he had gotten back from Katara, stating that she would come.

_Another great thing to look forward to._ He happily thought. He stood up and walked to the window, watching the people below as they went through their everyday activities.

There was a knock on the door. "Lord Zuko," A guard replied, "There is someone here to see you. She says it's urgent."

Zuko frowned at the last sentence. It was something that he didn't like to hear,

"Let her in," He commanded. He was surprised to see a young woman dressed in the Kyoshi warrior's outfit walk in. These women devoted themselves to helping others. It took Zuko a second to recognize who it was.

"Ty Lee?" The girl bowed her head, and then looked back at him, biting her lip. Zuko had never seen her this nervous. "What is it?" He asked.

"Zuko, there's a problem," She paused before softly continuing, "There was a break-out from one of your most heavily guarded prisons. Azula escaped."

Anger began to build up. "How is this even possible?" He snapped.

"We're not for sure," Ty Lee began, referring to the other Kyoshi Warriors along with herself, "But we think that she may have had some inside help from some guards."

"I don't believe it." He mumbled angrily. "Where is she now?"

"We don't know. We've followed her trail to the outskirts of the island where we lost it."

"She went out to sea." He stated, turning away from the warrior. "Thank you for informing me of this. Now find her."

She bowed her head and went for the door. Zuko spotted the note on his desk. Worry began to set in.

"Wait," Ty Lee turned around as Zuko approached her. "Which direction was she headed?"

"Looks like south." She estimated.

"No," He whispered. He picked up the letter and stared at the name on the bottom. Just the thought of Katara being out there on her own with Azula on the loose…

He turned back to the waiting Ty Lee and firmly stated, "I'll send ships after her and personally lead them."

_The rest of this will pretty much be going back and forth between the two. Is it who you expected?_


	3. Chapter 3

The only sound that was heard in the darkened room was the tiny paws of rats scampering across the cold tile floor. Katara had awoken here after she was knocked out from the attack. She tried to remember back to what had happened; it all went by so fast.

The men had jumped on her boat and attacked her. If she had had more notice of this danger, she probably could have avoided it easily, but then she did have some notion. She just didn't follow it. She couldn't understand why these men were deliberately going after her, until she saw their leader. She still didn't fully understand, but she somewhat did now.

The door slowly creaked open. Katara looked up, squinting her eyes from the sudden burst of light. A figure stepped in, blocking the light for a moment. Even though she had not seen this enemy for almost five years, there was no mistaking who it was.

Azula stood firm and taller then when she was back in her teenage years. Her dark hair was definitely longer, pulled back in a messy bun, large strands hanging down. Azula's clothes were not quite as significant as her once royal robes, not a tattered mess either. Her dress was a dark magnificent maroon that went down past her knees and slightly puffed up at the shoulders.

"Did you have enough rest, water peasant?" she sneered, putting one hand on her hip.

Katara looked at the ground, frustrated and avoided the menacing glare of the once fire princess. Azula walked over and crouched down next to the bars containing her prisoner.

"What's the matter? Are you not enjoying the room arrangements I have made for you?"

Katara closed her eyes and moved her head away.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Azula ordered.

Katara stubbornly kept still. "Why should I?" She mumbled, teeth clenched together.

"Because I am of Fire Nation royalty and you are just a water tribe peasant who apparently needs to learn her manners."How did you escape?" Katara angrily asked, now glaring at the other woman.

Azula moved closer. "It helped to have some allies on your side who do not agree with the new Fire Lord's ruling. At least they know who their rightful leader was supposed to be."

Katara spit a big ball of saliva in her face. "A nation will never again be ruled by someone with the likes of you!"

Azula stood up and wiped her face with a cloth given to her by a guard. "We'll see about that!" She snapped.

She faced the guard and ordered, "She is not to have any food for at least a day. That should teach her a lesson." The guard bowed and left the room.

As she was walking out, Azula turned around and evilly smiled at Katara before slamming the door behind her. Katara let her head hang low and closed her eyes as tears trickled down her face.

_I promise that it will get better and perhaps somewhat longer. That chapter was a bit short. If you begin to possibly lose interest in this story, please let me know (I hope not!). Otherwise, please continue to enjoy reading and I love to hear reviews!_


	4. Chapter 4

"Do you think this is wise Zuko?" Iroh asked. Zuko was at the dock, preparing his crews to set sail. "I know the importance of recapturing Azula, but is it necessary for you to go?"

"She needs to be stopped before anyone else is harmed."

"Why must you be the one to go after her? You have marvelous captains and generals-"

"I must go." Zuko stared at the emptiness of the ocean. "I must find her before it's too late.""Your sister can be-"

"Not Azula!" Zuko took a deep breath and softened his voice, "Katara is out there somewhere and I can only hope that she would not have to encounter my dangerous sister."

Iroh's eyes softened as he patted his nephew's back. "I understand the concern for your friend, but is it a good idea-"

"Uncle, please. I have already made my decision and I'm not going to back out of it now." Silence passed between them. Finally, the captain approached the two and bowed. "Lord Zuko, your fleet is ready to depart."

"Then we shall leave." He turned back to Iroh. "Uncle, could you watch the throne while I am gone?"

Iroh sighed before answering, "Yes, Zuko."

Zuko gave him a smile. "Thank you." He began to walk up on the ship.

"Be careful Zuko!" Iroh called out. Zuko turned around and nodded before disappearing on deck out of his uncle's sight. "I could only hope for your safety." Iroh whispered as the ship departed the dock.

A couple of days into their voyage, there was still no sign of Azula or Katara. The longer time passed, the more worried Zuko had become. Try as he might, he was hardly able to get much rest. Every time sleep overtook him, he would see Katara's face filled with terror and his sister laughing menacingly. He had to find Katara and soon.

"Anything?" He asked the captain.

"Nothing yet, Lord Zuko." He answered quietly. The captain had seen how devastated his Lord had been and hated to bring him lower each time he gave him more disappointment.

"Continued searching," Zuko merely replied as he turned away. The captain nodded then left.

Zuko sat down on the bench and closed his eyes. Maybe if he rested for a short time, he wouldn't feel so exhausted. If only that could take the pain he was feeling.

After only a brief time, a crew member asked aloud, "What's that?"

Zuko's eyes snapped open as he quickly stood up.

"What do you see?" He eagerly asked the man. He pointed up in the sky. Zuko squinted at the light shape flying in the sky. He soon realized what it was, heading right in their direction.

"It's a flying bison." Another crew member replied.

Zuko walked away and headed for the other side of the ship. Soon the bison landed on the ship, bellowing his presence. His passengers quickly jumped off his saddle. A tall young man in a blue ensemble walked toward Zuko first.

"Zuko, what were you thinking? Why didn't you tell us anything?" The young man replied, raising his voice.

Zuko stared out into the open water before turning to face the new passengers. "How did you find out?" He grumbled.

"Suki and I happened to be visiting Toph with Aang when we got a message from Iroh about it."

Zuko rolled his eyes in frustration.

"At least he had the decency to tell us the danger Katara may be in." The young man with a blue arrow on his bald head replied, trying to be calm, but with the anger rising in his voice.

"She's my sister!" Sokka exclaimed.

"And our friend too." The young woman in a green ensemble and black hair tied back in a neat bun added, slowly making her way toward the Fire Lord, her fists tightly clenched.

Zuko looked at his friends, clearly seeing the anger and frustration in their faces, clearly matching his own the first few days after he found out the devastating news. Now he was completely exhausted and worried about what could happen to the woman he loved and the other innocent people that could accidentally cross the path of his sister. He knew that this would happen when their friends found out. He didn't want to also put their lives in danger.

"I didn't want to have to burden you." Zuko replied, closing his eyes as he turned away, putting his hands on the railing.

By now, Sokka was raising his arms. "By not telling us anything?" He exclaimed. "We all know how much you care about my sister," Sokka paused and lowered his voice as he walked toward Zuko. He put his hand on his shoulder as he continued, "But you don't need to do it alone."

"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked, his eyes heavy from worry.

"We are here to help." Suki replied softly.

"Don't you know how dangerous Azula is?" Zuko angrily asked, glaring at Suki.

"Yes, I think we do." Toph snapped, "Which gives us better reason to let us join you. You need us."

"With Appa, we could find her even sooner." Aang added.

Zuko turned around and took in the emptiness of the water. Suki stood next to him and earnestly looked at him.

"Will you let us help you?" She softly asked.

Zuko looked at her as she gave him a small smile. He turned toward the rest and noticed the same expressions. They earnestly wanted to help find Katara. She was family to them. He hated the idea, but he knew they were right.

He sighed before replying, "I will need all the help I can get."

_I wanted to include the others in there somehow. They __**would **__be joining in the search once they knew about it. More is to come. I'm not giving up on it yet. _


	5. Chapter 5

_Sorry for such a long wait for the next update. I was having problems with my computer. Therefore, I had to re-type the chapter. Hopefully it's worth the wait. I'll try to update as often as I can, especially since school is starting again to add to my already hectic schedule. I hope that you won't be dissapointed. Please R&R. ;)_

Night. It was the fourth night Katara had to endure in her cell. Dim light from the moon poured into the corner of the room. The young woman sat against the wall, rubbing the stained dirt spots on her dress. Things weren't quite as bad as she thought it would be. So far, Azula had not tourchered (_I know it's misspelled_) her...physically that is.

Instead of the one day, she had gone two days without any food. She had barely been able to stand by the time that food had come on the third day. Instead of a guard as she expected, it was an older woman that brought a small tray of food. _Perhaps not to risk anything happening to her guards, Katara_ thought when she first saw the woman. Azula knew that Katara would not harm an innocent, which she could easily tell by the mere sight of this woman.

The woman was fairly tall and slender, strands of gray tinting her dark hair flowing down to her waist. She wore a tattered brown and white dress with green trimming. At first glance, her golden-brown eyes seemed to be filled with fear. Once her eyes locked with Katara's, they immediately softened. The woman kneeled and placed the tray down, gently pushing it through the bottom of the bars. When she looked up again, Katara say sadness.

"You poor thing," The woman replied, her voice soft and soothing, "To be treated so..."

She was cut off from an angry voice in the hallway, "Are you finished in there?"

"Yes," The woman flatly answered, looking at the ground.

"Then you're done. Come on out."

The woman slowly stood up. Katara stared at her, hoping for more from this kind woman.

She whispered before turning to leave, "You must eat to regain your strength."

That was yesterday. Nothing had yet come today, not even someone to really check up on her. Only an occasional guard would peek in through the small window of the door. Katara began to wonder if she would receive any more food. She clenched her stomach as it moaned. She was hungry, but what she wanted most of all, other than getting out of there, was something to quench her thirst. But she knew that was something she couldn't have. Azula had better sense than to give any liquid to a waterbender.

Katara looked out the small window high on the wall, leading to the outside. The only thing that she could see was a tiny piece of the moon. At least it could bring her some sort of piece.

She closed her eyes just as the door opened. Slowly walked in the same woman from the day before. She carried the tray carefully with one hand while the other was carefully tucked away in what was left of her shawl. It made Katara wonder if something had happened to this woman. Katara looked at the ground and sadly thought that this was because the woman had spoken to her. The woman pushed the tray in front of the young waterbender and pulled out her hand, holding something wrapped in a brown cloth. Gently uncovering it, she revealed a small cup. To Katara's joy, it had water. She looked up at the woman in surprise.

"You needed some water." The woman softly whispered, placing the cup in Katara's outstretched hands. Katara looked up from the water in confusion.

"Why are you giving this to me?" Katara struggled to ask, her throat dry.

"You are in need of it." The woman gently whispered, a genuine smile spreading across her face, revealing a few wrinkles under her eyes.

"But you're giving water to a-"

"Waterbender," The woman finished for her, "I know. That is exactly why I would store some away for later use."

Katara nodded and used her fingers to gently take some water and put it in her empty water pouch, hidden in the folds of her dress. She looked back at the woman who nodded and softly replied, "Drink."

Katara closed her eyes as she gulped down the refreshing cool liquid. Once finished, she gave the cup back to the woman who hid it away once again.

"Thank you," Katara quietly said, "But why are you helping me?"

Before another word could be uttered, the guard banged on the door.

"I will explain later." The woman answered as she smiled and took Katara's hands in her own. "Don't ever give up and stay strong, Katara." The woman slipped out of the room, leaving the young woman to ponder in amazement the unexpected kindness that she had been given. She found the strength to sit straight up and eat.


	6. Chapter 6

Over a week passed since Zuko started his voyage. Sleepless nights and tiresome days began to set in. He spent the majority of his time staring out into the ocean, hoping to see some clue that others had missed. After the first day that he was joined by the rest of Aang's group, the Avatar, Suki, and Sokka left on Appa to expand their search in a faster time. Every time they came to any sort of land, they crew stopped for a quick check all over the island. Ever since Toph joined Zuko, their searches became faster and closer to finding the missing waterbender and the once imprisoned fire princess.

Zuko rubbed his forehead to ease the pounding headache for the hundredth time in an hour. The captain had offered to give the Fire Lord some soothing tea, but he refused, yelling at him to continue searching. Katara was out there undoubtedly suffering and Zuko was willing to do the same. He closed his eyes tightly, taking deep breaths to calm himself as he gripped the railing.

"What are you trying to do to yourself?" A voice asked. Zuko's eyes snapped open to see the blind Earthbender standing next to him, facing out to sea.

"What kind of question is that?" He snapped.

"You barely eat anything and you hardly get any sleep, let alone rest for a minute. Sorry for being concerned."

"Katara is out there somewhere in much worse conditions. I thought you would understand the urgency for her and not me."

"Sweetness is a fighter. She wouldn't give up, no matter what. She would want you to be in good health and not collapse in sickness and worry."

"Do you even care what happens to her?" He yelled.

"Of course I do! She's like my sister. I am as determined as you to find her, but exhausting yourself like this won't get her any faster."

Zuko leaned over the railing, putting his face in his hands. Toph placed her hand on his shoulder. "You need to at least try to take a nap." She calmly said. "You are utterly exhausted. I can't believe that you are still standing."

He let out a deep breath. "Alright, a short rest." He laid down on the nearby bench and closed his eyes, sleep overtaking him.

Zuko awoke to the sound of loud bellowing as the ship slightly rocked. He sprung right up and wildly looked around. Right next to him stood the ten ton flying bison. Down from the giant animal's saddle lightly landed the avatar.

"Did you find her?" Zuko quickly asked the young man. Aang shook his head slowly, his face almost emotionless.

"Nothing." He whispered, looking at the floor. "We just stopped by to see how you were faring."

"We've searched every island we came across. Surely she couldn't have gotten too far." Zuko looked away and turned out to the ocean. He noticed the sun rising when before it was higher… He spun around to the now approaching Toph. "How long was I asleep?"

"Good morning to you too." She said defensively. He glared at her. "You slept through the night for once."

Zuko huffed, refusing to look at the young woman. He stood straight, both hands tightly gripping the railing.

"Did you want to join us Toph?" Aang asked nervously, looking back and forth between the two.

"No thanks Twinkletoes," She easily replied. "I'd rather stay here. Somebody needs to keep an eye on Sparky." Aang watched as the blind girl headed back below deck. "Good luck!" She called out before disappearing.

Zuko jumped when he noticed that he wasn't alone. Sokka silently stood with him, staring out into the water. After a moment, he turned to face the Fire Lord. "Zuko, can I talk to you about something?"

Zuko shrugged. Sokka looked back out to sea as he rubbed his hands on the railing. "I've always felt the need to protect Katara from everything that could endanger her since we were kids. The thing is, she was completely capable of taking care of herself and others around her. She would never give up no matter what the outcome may appear to be. She is strong enough to overcome anything."

Zuko let his head hang as memories filled his head of everything he remembered of her, the North Pole, the underground caves of Ba Sing Se, fighting against Azula…Sokka was right, Katara was a fighter. The feeling helped to slightly ease the pains of the worried young man.

Sokka patted him on the back. "We'll find her." Zuko could only nod. Sokka climbed into Appa's saddle as Aang jumped lightly onto the Bison's head.

"We will start back out to the east." Aang solemnly replied.

"And we shall continue south." Zuko added. All three of the friends looked at the Fire Lord earnestly. "Good luck." Zuko replied, forcing a small smile on his face to hide his grief.

"You too, Zuko," Aang quietly answered. Aang gripped the reins tightly as he looked up at the sky. "Yip, yip."

Zuko watched the group fade away into the endless sky. Zuko once again looked out into the vast clear ocean. "Katara, where could you be?" He whispered. Nothing was in sight around the ship except the waves rolling along the water. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine the happy memories of him and Katara together, nothing keeping them apart.

A soft groan followed by a large crash interrupted his thoughts. Zuko spun around to see Toph dragging something rather large behind her. As she neared, he discovered that it was two of his crew members tightly wrapped in makeshift metal.

Zuko was horrified. "What is the meaning of all of this? Have you lost your mind?"

Toph stopped in front of him, dropping her load. She somewhat smiled at his sudden outburst. "I don't believe so." She merely answered. Zuko continued to watch her with wide eyes. Toph, sensing his fury heavily mixed with confusion lost her smile and became serious.

"They know where Katara is."

_Sorry for such a long update. I finally got my computer fixed and working. It may take a little longer to update dealing with work and classes. I have the rest planned in my head, but to get it down on paper… Thank you so much for being patient. Hope that it was able to be paid off. I would love to hear your reviews. Thanks again!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Katara, _

_I grew up as part of the Fire Nation. I had a good life and loved my family dearly. Many things happened, some suddenly, that caused me to leave my family behind and seek refuge elsewhere. I had lived on the outskirts of Ba Sing Se for about the past ten years. _

_I know who you are because I know of you to be one of those heroes who helped give the Fire Nation what it needed for a long time, to see their place and the rest of the world as equal with a good leader. I, as well as others, were heading back to our homes with hope for a better chance at life when our ship was intercepted. No one was seriously injured, but I fear for some of the others' well being. I am glad that you have been getting stronger these past few days. Not a single living thing should be treated so poorly. _

_Never give up._

_Never give up, _Katara repeated in her head. That was something that she had learned long ago. She carefully refolded the note that was delicately written on a tattered piece of parchment and tucked it away. She couldn't help but feel terrible about what these people had to go through when all they desired was to return home. She had seen how devastating it was when others were driven from their own homes and had experienced loss in her own.

She placed her hand on her mother's necklace. Oh, how she missed her so. Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine Kya as hard as she could. Soon, the kind woman who had been helping her appeared next to her own mother. Katara couldn't help the fallen tear from reaching the cold floor. Her mother had sacrificed her own life to save her daughter. This woman had been forced to leave her own family and continue on her own way. Katara couldn't imagine having the amazing strength of these two women after what they had done. She fingered the note in her pocket, thinking about what was written on it.

Loud footsteps echoed down the hall. The door slammed open against the wall, leaving a few small cracks dented on the stone. Katara slowly looked up to face the angered young woman.

"You're keeping well I see," She merely replied, "Although this is more than you deserve after what you've done to me."

With the wave of her hand, a guard came through. He unlocked the cell and walked in. Katara pushed herself to her knees, but before she could move further, the guard abruptly pushed her to the ground. She hit the cold floor hard. Her right cheek burned from the pain of the impact. Holding back the tears, she briefly touched her bruised cheek before slowly sitting up to reach for her water pouch. The guard kicked her arm out from under her, making her land forcefully on that arm. She grimaced in pain. Agonizingly, she was pulled up by her hair to face her captor. An evil smile spread across her face.

"Much better," She replied.

"What do you want from me?" Katara cried in pain.

Azula's smile widened. "You already gave me exactly what I wanted." She smoothly replied. "You helped my brother take everything away from me. Zuzu never deserved to be Fire Lord and he will soon lose that honor. You are helping that happen by being such a weakling and making it such an easy task to keep you captive."

Katara glared at the power-hungry young woman. "You don't deserve to be Fire Lord." She angrily replied through her teeth. Azula looked away with no concern. She waved her hand and the guard let go of Katara's hair and pushed her head down, making her struggle to catch her breath.

"Still so much to learn," Azula muttered.

Katara watched as the princess finally left with the guard, slamming the door tight behind her. With caution, she pushed herself up with her good arm. Glancing up to make sure that no one was right outside; she opened her water pouch and gathered the streamful of water. With the water glove on her hand, she gently placed it on her pain-stricken arm and watched it glow. She winced for a second before a feel of relief spread across her face. It wasn't completely healed, but it helped to keep most of the pain away. She looked down into her now empty water pouch. She was thankful that she had been given that source for this moment.

Katara sat against the wall and closed her eyes. Azula's menacing words kept repeating in her head. _Zuzu never deserved to be Fire Lord and he will soon lose that honor…_

Katara popped her eyes open, understanding the full meaning. She knew that Azula wanted to be Fire Lord, but she also had a part in it. Azula knew that Zuko would go after Katara to keep her safe. That was why she had been taken captive. Azula planned to lead Zuko right where she wanted and… Katara couldn't stand to continue that thought. She tightly closed her eyes and prayed that he wouldn't fall for this devastating trap.

A cool breeze swept through the room from the small outside window, carrying in a faint familiar scent. Katara inhaled deeply, strength beginning to find her. She looked toward the barred door, a voice saying in her mind, _Never give up._

_Thank you for the reviews while you patiently waited. Sorry that this took forever to do. Homework galore was on my plate. I still have some left, but managed to find some time do finish this small chapter. Hope that you liked that part at the end. I have also started with another idea that I really like and may develop, but I don't want to leave this one hanging. I would love to hear your comments, even if it may be criticism. _


	8. Chapter 8

_It's been so long since I last posted up anything. I had the hardest time getting this part written. Please don't hate me for it if you don't like it. Thank you for waiting for weeks…or was it a month? Anyway, enjoy and please comment! And also, sorry for the wierd spacing...don't know what happened. _

"How can you be sure?" Zuko angrily asked, confused by the motives of this young blind Earthbender. "You can't just tie up crew members on an assumption!"  
"They said that we would never find Katara being we're going the wrong way. This one," Toph began, pointing at the guard with the goatee, "said that you will soon lose her if Azula doesn't get what she wants."  
Zuko glared at the man who in turn kept his face emotionless as he stared back. Zuko understood the message clearly.  
"Where is Katara?" he sternly asked, not taking his eyes of his captive.  
"Promise that you will give Fire Lord Azula what is rightfully hers, then we will tell you where they are." he menacingly answered.  
"That will never happen. The Fire Nation will no longer make war with the rest of the world to gain complete power."  
"The Fire Nation will fall because of you." The other man with small beady eyes began, "Fire Lord Ozai was a great leader who had his country's best interest in mind. We were about to become the most powerful nation in the world. Now, his pitiful excuse for a son is burning it to the ground while he makes every person equal. His daughter is the best choice to make sure that our nation stays strong."

Zuko gripped Beady Eyes collar tightly. "Azula will never rule over anything. All will be lost under her reign."  
In truth, Zuko was frightened of the man's words himself. What if he really was weakening his country while striving to make peace and fix everything with the world? No matter what, he would never let his power-hungry sister take his place. She would destroy the world, just as their father had come close to succeeding in.  
The Fire Lord gripped Beady Eyes collar tighter, bringing him closer. "I will ask you again, where are they?" Zuko glared at him sternly, his brows fused together and lips tightened. The man's face grew pale as he began to run short on breaths.  
"Okay," Goatee exclaimed. Zuko loosened his grip and pushed the other man aside as his attention shifted to the other. "I'll tell you." Beady Eyes glared at his companion as he continued, "She is being kept in a small abandoned prison on an island just 16 miles east from here."

Zuko studied Goatee carefully, determining the truth. After seeing his flood of fear, Zuko relaxed. "Alright," he replied as he turned away. "Captain," he called.  
"Yes sir?" the captain asked.  
"Set the ship due course east."  
"Yes sir,"  
Before the captain could walk away, Toph lightly grabbed his arm. The captain looked down at her hand utterly confused. Zuko shared the same expression.

"Wait," she merely replied, letting go. The two watched as she walked over to the traitors. Sensing the strange flood of relief from the both of them, she replied, "No, go west."  
"Are you sure?" Zuko asked. The traitors looked at each other in slight worry.  
"Positive,"  
"We head west."

The captain nods and goes on his way. Zuko motioned to two other crew members nearby. They came to his side immediately, looking at the duo tied up.  
"Have these two put below in the extra storage containment and watched. I'll deal with these traitors later." The men nod nervously and follow the Fire Lord's orders.

Zuko went to the captain's quarters to speak to the information attendant. "Write a letter for the avatar saying that we are heading west after gaining some information on Katara's whereabouts. He will meet us there. Then send it by hawk and we will hope that he will get it in time." The attendant nodded as she went straight to work.  
Zuko walked back out on the deck to be greeted by an annoyed Earthbender with her arms firmly folded.  
"Aren't you going to wait for help?" Toph asked the Fire Lord, not very happy about his decision to go alone.  
He shook his head. "Katara shouldn't have to wait any longer to get out of this mess." He paused as he smiled for the first time since he heard the news. "Besides, I have you to help me."

The captain nods and goes on his way. Zuko motioned to two other crew members nearby. They came to his side immediately, looking at the duo tied up.  
"Have these two put below in the extra storage containment and watched. I'll deal with these traitors later." The men nod nervously and follow the Fire Lord's orders.  
Zuko went to the captain's quarters to speak to the information attendant. "Write a letter for the avatar saying that we are heading west after gaining some information on Katara's whereabouts. He will meet us there. Then send it by hawk and we will hope that he will get it in time." The attendant nodded as she went straight to work.  
Zuko walked back out on the deck to be greeted by an annoyed Earthbender with her arms firmly folded.  
"Aren't you going to wait for help?" Toph asked the Fire Lord, not very happy about his decision to go alone.  
He shook his head. "Katara shouldn't have to wait any longer to get out of this mess." He paused as he smiled for the first time since he heard the news. "Besides, I have you to help me."

_Okay, now the rest will hopefully go smoother. It is getting close to the end as you can tell. I got two new Avatar ideas to do that are obviously Zutara. One I have complete and posted up if you're interested. It's a short little story called "Dreams Collide". The other I am trying not to start writing until I've finished this story. At least a couple of chapters left of Captivity!_


	9. Chapter 9

Everything was quiet in the chilly cell. Light from the setting sun filtered in through the window. Katara sat in the middle of the floor, concentrating. She tried every way to sense any water nearby. The whiff of the ocean had caught her notice the night before and since then, she had tried in all her power to bring some of it to her. She let her mind run through with all memories of water, hoping to trigger something to her.

A loud groan was heard in the hall. Katara's eyes snapped open. Short sounds of fire bursted outside the room before abruptly stopping. Mere seconds later, the door slammed open. Katara fell back in surprise, worried of who it could be. To her relief, it was a face she recognized. The kind woman looked slightly out of breath with her hair raffled all over the place.

"You have to get out of here." The woman exclaimed, infatuated. She quickly opened the cell door with the keys she had taken from the guard. "Everyone else is outside because of the fight that broke out after a ship rolled in."

"Zuko," Katara thought with hope. She stumbled out with the woman, only to see a couple of guards lying on the ground, unconscious, fresh scorch marks scattered on the walls. Katara stopped in her tracks, confused at what happened. Surely the woman must have been injured after all that fire. The woman noticed that she no longer was being followed and stopped. She noticed the Waterbender's gaze at the men on the floor.

"Why are you helping me?" Katara asked with confusion filled eyes. The woman approached her slowly.

"No one should ever have to endure so much pain. You have so much of your life still ahead of you. The world is changing for the better and I know you will continue to be a big part of it." The woman took her hand. "Now we must hurry." They raced down the hall until they reached a split. "Outside is that way." The woman replied, pointing down the right path. She left Katara and began the other direction.

"Aren't you coming?" She asked, worried about each other's safety if they split up.

"I'll be fine. I need to help the other refugees out."

Katara hesitantly nodded before carefully going about her way. She began to smell the ocean as she continued down the poorly lit hall. Rounding another corner, she slammed into someone, almost losing her balance. They grabbed her arms to keep her from falling. She fearfully looked up at her captor, only to feel a pool of relief and great happiness at the same time.

"Zuko," she whispered. She buried her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, not wanting to ever let go. He softly ran his fingers through her tangled hair.

"Katara, I am so glad that you are alright." He placed a kiss on her forehead. When they finally pulled away from each other, he gently placed his hand on her bruised cheek. "What happened?" He softly asked, worried about possible further injuries.

"I'm fine." She reassured him, taking his hand in hers. He tightly gripped her hand.

"We need to get you out of here." He urgently said, taking one last careful examination of her face. They took off down the hall. Soon, they reached a door. Zuko pushed it open, revealing the beautiful blue sky. Katara leaned on his arm feeling the much needed peace. Her happiness was short lived. Fire blasts shot all over the place, reminding her of the danger they were still in.

"There you two are." A voice called from the side. Katara's face lit up as she saw her friend. "I was about to go in after you." With the kick of her heel, the blind Earthbender shot a huge hunk of rock in the air, knocking her opponent down. Toph turned to face the couple. "Now, what's the plan Sparky?"

Zuko squeezed Katara's hand and held it close. "We take care of this now." Toph nodded as she took down another attacker.

Zuko pulled Katara toward his ship, evading any fire bursts near them.. "We need to get you to safety!" He replied hastily, not letting go.

She abruptly stopped and pulled her hand away. "No, I can fight."

"You have been locked away for—"

She put a hand to his mouth. "Do you know how Azula got here? She took over a ship on route to take refugees home. We need to help them out, not me."

"You are no longer in danger. My crew can get the others out of here." She firmly stood with her arms folded. "Please Katara," he pleaded, "I don't want to risk losing you. If you were to go back now; I don't know what will happen."

Katara took his hands and looked up earnestly into his weary eyes. "I love you too Zuko, but there's something you need to know. I was cared for by a very kind woman who helped me escape and I believe her to—"

Zuko barely glanced up in time to see a fast, oncoming blue fireball. He blocks Katara and dissembled it, Katara cowering over to avoid contact of the dangerous element. She turned and saw a distinct figure standing nearby, arms stretched out to attack.

"Nice of you to drop by brother," She replied menacingly.

Zuko prepared himself in a defense position with Katara to his left, a load of water surrounding her.

"Get out of here Katara; I can handle her on my own." Zuko harshly whispered.

"Not after what happened the last time you battled your sister." Katara shot back. "I stay with you."

Zuko sighed, giving up. He knew not to fight the waterbender's determination. "Fine, but stay behind me."

Azula glanced at Katara before returning her attention back to Zuko.

"Ah, the epic battle again. This time, I'll take out your little Waterbender for sure." With full blast, blue fire went straight for Katara. Zuko blocked it out and returned fire. Azula jerked out of the way, the fire scorching the wall behind her.

"You missed." Azula pointed out as she shot two massive blasts. Katara shielded one. Through the smoke filled air, a few more blasts hurled past.

The fight continued on. Zuko and Katara evaded the Fire Princess with great determination. Zuko began to wonder if his sister could direct lightning. As if right on cue, Azula built herself up for a dangerous attack. Seeing the attention shift to Zuko for a slight moment, Katara took her water whip and wrapped it around Azula's legs. With a swift pull, the princess fell to the ground, landing on her hands. She stood up angrily and looked back at the two, searching for any weakness. Katara glanced to the right, noticing the refugees sneaking around the side, the kind older woman leading the way. Azula saw the distraction and in a split second, whipped around and created a wall of fire, blocking their exit. They gasped in surprise as they huddled together, the woman in front.

"There is no way you can win!" Azula exclaimed, panting, "Surrender now Zuko, and I promise that they will go free."

Zuko looked over at the terrified people, not sure what to do. All others had stopped fighting at this point and watched the two siblings, wondering what would happen next. The fire wall intensified. The prisoners looked around them in terror as the kind woman looked toward Katara and Zuko with sadness in her eyes. Katara noticed and understood the meaning. She placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder.

Azula laughed in her brother's hesitance. "Clearly, the Fire Nation needs a strong leader. You might as well give up now."

Zuko glared at the deranged power-hungry princess and replied, "Not a chance." Azula shook her head and the flames rose in height.

_Cliffhanger! Will Zuko have made the right choice, risking the lives of these people? You'll just have to wait and see what will happen. The next part will be coming up soon…I hope. Please give feedback. Tell me what you think and if there is anything else you think I should add. _


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you for the long wait. It's finally winter break for me and I have time to catch up with my writing. I'll have to warn you, this part may seem kind of quick with the action parts. I have a hard time with those, but I wanted to include them. So…enjoy! ;) _

_**Previously…**_

"_There is no way you can win!" Azula exclaimed, panting, "Surrender now Zuko, and I promise that they will go free." _

_Zuko looked over at the terrified people, not sure what to do. All others had stopped fighting at this point and watched the two siblings, wondering what would happen next. The fire wall intensified. The prisoners looked around them in terror as the kind woman looked toward Katara and Zuko with sadness in her eyes. Katara noticed and understood the meaning. She placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder. _

_Azula laughed in her brother's hesitance. "Clearly, the Fire Nation needs a strong leader. You might as well give up now." _

_Zuko glared at the deranged power-hungry princess and replied, "Not a chance." Azula shook her head and the flames rose in height._

A large shape came overhead and dumped tons of water, licking away the flames. All eyes looked up as the cloud-like shape bellowed and lowered to the ground. Light from the rising full moon revealed a giant bison and his two riders.

"You stared the party without us I see." Sokka replied, sliding off of the bison's saddle. Aang leaped down to the ground with staff in hand.

"Would you like some help?" Aang asked questionably to the two.

"Gladly," Zuko answered, confidence in his voice.

The airbender gave Katara a smile. "Glad you're okay, Katara."

"Nice to see you again sis,"

"Thanks, Sokka." Katara softly replied. She was just glad to see her brother. He returned a warm smile.

"What took you guys so long to get here?" Toph asked as she joined them.

"Hey, at least we made it in time." Sokka replies defensively. "It wasn't hard to find with fire all over the island."

"Where's Suki?" Katara asked.

"I'm here," a voice called from far off to the side. Dressed in her regular Kyoshi uniform without all of the make-up, Suki joined the others. Katara restrained herself from giving her sister-in-law a hug right then. Soon, they were surrounded by other Kyoshi warriors, prepared to fight. "I brought reinforcements." Suki boldly replied.

Azula looked around at the new arrivals. "Oh, good. Everyone is here," She paused, recognizing one of the Kyoshi Warriors, "Even those who betrayed me." Ty Lee looked down in disappointment. One of the other Kyoshi Warriors hooked arms with the acrobat, letting her know that they would stick with her.

"You're done for, Azula!" Zuko angrily exclaimed.

Azula gave her brother a smirk. "We'll see about that." With a swift punch, blue fire hurled toward them. After evading the attack, more fire surrounded them as guards followed suit. Soon, everyone was fighting their own small battles. Zuko continued his fight against his sister.

After evading a fire ball heading in her direction, Katara looked worriedly at the frightened group near the cave entrance.

"We need to get the refuges to safety." Katara called to a few Kyoshi Warriors.

Three girls hurried over to Katara and they quickly formed a line to help and protect the prisoners as they went through, out of danger. One by one, Azula's guards went down. The Fire Princess, noticing the diminishing size of her fighters, began to look worried of the possible outcome.

"You're outnumbered Azula," Zuko boldly replied, "Stop now and we can end this peacefully."

Azula let out a loud huff. "We'll see about that." Clapping her hands together, a massive shield of fire bulldozed toward the Fire Lord. After clearing the dangerous element, she was nowhere in sight. He carefully looked around to see a huge ball of blue fire hurling with great speed from his right. Reacting quickly, he dissipated the fire, but fell back from the force of the impact. Zuko looked up to see his sister standing directly in front of him.

"You look a little tired Zuzu." She menacingly replied. After letting out a deep breath, he stood up and struggled to return to his stance. "It's over brother." She bellowed.

Once mostly everyone had made it to the safety of the ship, Katara spotted the dueling siblings. Seeing Zuko weakened and Azula preparing for another dangerous attack, she spun around to the ocean to collect water. Noticing the bright reflection of the full moon, she knew what she had to do. The Waterbender let herself relax, feeling the energy move throughout her body to her fingertips. As Azula began to shoot a fire blast at her brother, the fire disappeared as both of her hands became stiff. Soon the firebender lost any control of her movements as she unwillingly bowed to the ground. She looked horrifically at the master Waterbender as Katara walked over, firmly looking at Azula while making slow, careful hand movements.

It grew quiet as all eyes were on the invisible force containing the Fire Princess. "She's—down," Someone replied. Azula's soldiers gave up their defensive postures and began to surrender.

Seeing this happening infuriated the power-hungry princess. Through her teeth, she irritably said, "I did not go this far to be brought down by one measly Waterbender." After struggling, she managed to free one hand from Katara's dangerous grasp. Soon, she had back control of both arms and prepared a deadly attack.

"This is the end, Katara." Before she could do any further damage, a metal bar hit her on the back of her head. Azula slowly tumbled to the ground. Katara watched as the kind woman she had befriended dropped the bar to the ground and kneeled next to the fallen princess. She brushed strands of hair from her face gently. "I'm sorry," She softly spoke.

Toph touched the ground near Azula. "She's only knocked out." She answered to the silence of on-lookers. A small band of Azula's guards stood together, looking fiercely at the Fire Lord. Once Katara came in eye contact, they gave up and surrendered with the others.

Zuko's captain timidly approached his master. "What will you do with them, my Lord?"

Zuko glanced over the surrendered guards carefully. "Take these traitors and put them with the other two down below. I will deal with them later." The Fire Lord's guards rounded up the traitors and brought them to a separate ship.

"What about Azula?" Sokka asked, taking a quick glimpse of the fallen young woman.

"If it would be fine, Lord Zuko," Ty Lee began, "The Kyoshi Warriors will personally take her back to your royal prison to be heavily guarded with your most trusted." The other female warriors nodded in agreement.

"Very well," Zuko replied. A warrior each took an arm and braised the unconscious Azula. As they led her away, Katara watched the woman who had saved her life, looking after the girls sadly. Reaching out to the woman with open arms, Katara gave her a comforting hug.

Zuko placed his hand on Katara's shoulder as he looked up at the home-driven people anxiously watching on his ship. "It's time we go home."

_Now, as you can tell, I am very close to the end. There's still one little thing I want to finish up for it. Tell me what you think of this story so far. _


	11. Chapter 11

Aang and Toph had left on Appa, carrying the most weak of the refuges home. The rest stayed on the ship for the long voyage home. Zuko had promised to take them to the right port and see that they got safely home. Katara spent all of her time in the comfort of her family and dear friends. For the first day on the ship, both Sokka and Zuko constantly checked on her to make sure that she was fine. Suki had the guys give the poor girl some space.

It was the third sunrise that Katara had seen since she left the dreaded island behind. She walked on deck to find a dear friend already at the railing, watching the sky brighten. Katara couldn't help but smile as she joined the woman.

"Beautiful sunrise, isn't it?"

"Yes it is," The woman answered softly.

A few moments of silence passed between. Katara studied the woman as she continued her same gaze, staring in the distance.

"Are you nervous about going home to see your family after all these years away?"

"A bit, yes." She paused as she took time to turn and look at Katara. "I don't know how they would react after me being gone for so long."

Katara embraced her. "I know that they will welcome you with open arms."

"Thank you." The woman spotted Zuko walking up on deck. "He's a lucky young man to have someone like you in his life." Katara blushed as she saw Zuko heading the other direction to talk to his captain.

"Thank you—Ursa." The woman was taken back at the name. She looked back to the horizon.

"No one has called me by that name in so long."

"He is fortunate to have a mother like you." Katara paused as she moved closer to the kind woman. "Are you going to tell him?" She whispered.

Ursa turned around to watch Zuko from far off. "I don't know," She softly answered.

"He always talked about you being the greatest thing in his life. He's never stopped loving you."

The women watched as the young Fire Lord checked on all his passengers needs.

"He has become a handsome young man." Ursa continued to watch her son earnestly.

"You should thank his uncle for taking him under his wing after everything..." Katara didn't know where to continue.

"Yes, Iroh cared for him as a boy as if he was his own." Ursa paused as she tried to hold back the tears. "I should have never left. I needed to be there for him…and Azula."

Katara embraced the older woman. "You have already done so much and can still be there for them. You've already come so far." Ursa let herself cry.

"Is everything alright?" A voice asked. The women separated and met the worried gaze of their loved one.

"Yes, she is just relieved to be returning home." Katara answered.

Zuko placed a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder. "You deserve to be back home with your family." Zuko paused, studying the woman. Something about her seemed familiar, comforting. He smiled. "I could never thank you enough for keeping Katara safe and well."

Ursa could only smile as she peered up unto the face of her grown son, tears streaming down her face. Zuko continued to stare into those kind eyes…

"Lord Zuko," the captain interrupted, "We are approaching home." Zuko had to break away from his trance. Sure enough, land was in sight.

"Excellent, we will ready all the passengers." The young Fire Lord hesitantly walked away, giving a smile to the women before leaving.

Ursa earnestly watched her son disappear to the other side of the ship.

"He'll understand." Katara softly replied. Ursa nodded as the two turned toward land.

Iroh watched the ship advance closer. Once he heard the news of an oncoming ship, he wasted no time arriving at the dock. The Fire Lord's fleet soon docked and the passengers got off. At last, he spotted their rescued angel.

He gave her a big welcoming hug. "Miss Katara, I am glad to see you well." When he pulled away, he noticed her companion. With brightened eyes followed by a smile, he replied, "My dear, it is wonderful to see you again." The two embraced in a loving hug.

Letting out a big sigh, she added, "You too Iroh," Eventually they separated. Iroh spotted his nephew, the last to leave his ship, arriving at the top of the ramp. Katara turned and met her love with a smile. Zuko soon joined the others.

"You did a wonderful job nephew," Iroh proudly declared, "And brought back another special passenger."

"She helped Katara in her captivity."

Iroh slightly frowned at his response. Zuko confused, looked at his uncle then Katara and the woman. Katara took his hand.

"Zuko, do you not realize who this is?"

Zuko turned back at the woman and studied her. The woman in return sincerely smiled, eyes watery. "Zuko," She whispered, not daring to move closer. The Fire Lord's mind raced with memories as the voice echoed in his head. He saw his family together and happy when he was younger; all the happiness he shared with his mother when she was still around. He opened his eyes and saw the woman still standing in front of him, realization hitting him.

"Mom,"

Not a word was spoken as the two ran into a much needed hug. Both had tears in their eyes as they vowed to never let go again. Iroh and Katara watched the blissful reunion with happiness. Soon, they joined in.

After what seemed like an eternity, Iroh replied, "Let's go inside. I'll make a pot of some nice hot jasmine tea and we'll talk about everything together." The rest nodded and headed inside, hand in hand.

_I probably have only one chapter left for the end of the story. It might take a while for the next part, being school's starting back up, but I'll try to get it done. This chapter took a while to work on, so tell me what you thought and I'm open to any suggestions for future stories! :)_


	12. AN

This part I know the reader is very disappointed in seeing after waiting for a long time on an update as I am with myself….

First of all, I want to apologize for not continuing on with this story. I should have put this up a long time ago, but this story will be temporarily put down for I have lost the inspiration for it that I long to have return. There may be a slight chance that at some point, the inspiration will come back and I can continue on because I really want to. I am welcome to any ideas for further on this story or other ideas, but they may be delayed getting out. Sorry for the longer wait and I promise to get a story out sometime soon, even if it may be something other than this one (being I have been working on quite a handful of potential ideas from various networks of fiction). Please read some of my others if you haven't already. Thanks for patiently waiting and I again apologize that your wait is going to be a lot longer. I may be able to get a bunch of stories out after a few weeks when I am out of school.

Any questions, comments, or ideas that you might want to give me, please do. I am willing to do other ideas from Avatar: The Last Airbender, X-men Evolution, Ben 10, Teen Titans, Young Justice, Twilight, or Danny Phantom. Those are the ones that I have had ideas for and know a good amount about. Thanks and keep reading these great stories that everyone puts out. :D


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